LORD, HEAL OUR LAND

By Evangeline Unity Esaaba Folson

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The verse above clearly states what we should do as children of God for our land to be healed. Before I list the things we need to do for our land to be healed and explain in detail, let us take a look at what is happening in the world today (our land). Some of the things happening in the world today are:

•  There are wars and fighting all over and lots of people are dying.
• There are climate changes. It is not raining as it used to, the ozone layer is depleting and the sun’s rays are becoming harmful to man. Water bodies are drying up.
• There are natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and floods destroying properties and killing people.
• There are a lot of false teachings on Christianity and other religions are being portrayed as being superior.
• Human trafficking is becoming rampant and this could be seen as a form of slavery.
• There are disease outbreaks like, Ebola, Aids, Swine flu, Bird flu Hepatitis.

These are not all the problems being experienced in the world. I only wanted to paint a picture to bring our minds to the fact that our world needs healing.

There are three (3) major things we need to do to get our land healed according to 2 Chronicles 7:14:

• Humble ourselves.
• Pray and seek God’s face
• Turn from our wicked ways.

Humble ourselves

According to the Oxford English Mini-dictionary, to humble yourself means having a low opinion of one’s importance. That is, not to think of yourself more highly than you have to. The verse below explains it better:

Romans 12:3

 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you

Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Another way we can humble ourselves is found in:

Romans 12:16

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

A third way of humbling ourselves is given in:

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interest but each of you the interests of others.

To summarize what is portrayed in the three verses quoted, it can be said that humbling ourselves involves:

• Not thinking more highly of ourselves as we ought to.
• Living in harmony and being willing to associate ourselves with people of low esteem.
• Not being selfish but thinking of other people’s interest.

All three verses talk about our dealings with one another. We also have to humble ourselves before God. Humbling ourselves before God involves fasting and prayer:

Isaiah 58:6

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loosen the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Another way of humbling ourselves before God can be found in:

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness: but unto us that are saved it is the power of God.

The message of the cross is foolishness to the unsaved because it sounds absurd. To be saved you have to humble yourself, put aside your pride and the wisdom of the world and accept the gift of salvation

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Pray and seek God’s face

Isaiah 55:6

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Matthew 7:7

Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Matthew 21:22

 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The verse in Isaiah tells us to seek the Lord or try to find Him. We can seek the Lord by calling upon Him in prayer.  As the verse in Jeremiah says, when we call on God, He will answer us by providing what we ask for as the two verses in Matthew say.

God not only answers by giving us what we ask for but He also reveals mysteries about Himself and how to relate to Him (Jeremiah 33:3)

Turn from our wicked ways

Isaiah 55:7

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon Him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

According to this verse, turning away from our wicked ways involves giving up the sinful things or the things we do that are against what the word of God says. It also demands that we control what we think about or renew our minds.

Romans 12:2 says:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

If we check our actions and thought patterns and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us do the will of God, then God would have mercy upon us and pardon us abundantly.

Concluding words

When we have corrected our mistakes like 2 Chronicles 7:14  directs us to, then we can also pray for God to heal our land. Until Jesus comes, the earth is the land of the living, we have to pray for God to make it habitable.

Revelations 22:20

—-Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

References

1. Internet Bible
2. Oxford Mini-English Dictionary
3. New King James Bible.